Moderating effect of asean free trade agreement between total quality management and business performance

The unprecedented pace of globalisation, trade liberalisation, and capital movement in the later years profoundly changed to pose serious challenges for Malaysian companies to compete in an open market. In today's highly competitive market, the demand for quality is important factor for companies to survive in the ever-expanding global marketplace. The concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) has been developed as a result of intense global competition. ASEAN trade liberalisation through the elimination of intraregional tariffs contributed to improving manufacturing in ASEAN countries to be more efficient and competitive in world markets. However, Asean Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) is a good news for foreign companies as they have competitive advantages, but not for local companies. The examining of AFTA as a moderator is less done in previous work. The purpose of this paper is to propose relationship between TQM practices and business performance with moderator effects of AFTA. The main contribution of this paper is to examine whether AFTA has the effect as a moderator. This proposed conceptual model will help the academicians and industry players to have better understanding on the effect of AFTA in TQM implementation in improving their business performance. The structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques are used to examine the relationships of the practices.©2014 the Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open Access under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY–NC–ND 4.0) license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Drivers influencing shared services adoption

Organizations seeking improvements in their performance are increasingly exploring alternative models and approaches for providing support services; one such approach being Shared Services. Shared Services has the potential to provide positive and powerful impact to the organizations with the support of Information Systems (IS) as the platform for Shared Services application and implementation. Due to this situation, Shared Services is becoming one of the choices in IS area for researcher to conduct a research. Shared Services results a lot of positive outcomes especially improving on the organizations financial expenses. Although various studies have been identified in discussing about the benefits of Shared Services, drivers of Shared Services that influence its adoption have received little research attention. This paper has identified several drivers that influence organizations to adopt Shared Services. By using NVivo as a tool to analyze the content from selected journal articles, 5 drivers of Shared Services adoption were identified. This suggesting the strength and benefits in adopting shared service. By identifying the drivers, it could encourage the top management as the decision maker to implement Shared Services in their organization. Thus, this could lead to the business operation to operate more effectively

MPEG-4 video transmission using distributed TDMA MAC protocol over IEEE 802.15.4 wireless technology

The issues of green technology nowadays give an inspiration to the researcher to make all the future design to be energy efficient. Medium Access Control (MAC) layer is the most effective layer to provide energy efficient due to its ability to control the physical radio directly. One of the important applications in the future is a video transmission that can be transmitted with low-cost and low power consumption. MPEG-4 is one of the international standards for moving video. MPEG-4 provide better compression and primarily design at low bit rate communication. In order to achieve good quality for video application, the design at MAC layer must be strong. Therefore, to increase the performance of the MPEG-4 in IEEE 802.15.4, in this paper we propose a cross layer design between MAC layer and Application layer. A priority queue will be implemented at MAC scheduling depends on the level of frame important in MPEG-4 format frame. A distributed Time division Multiple Access (TDMA) will be used for MAC protocol to provide reliable data transmission for high priority frame

A proposed conceptual model for flipped learning

This study developed and tested the efficacy of flipped model that is usable as a strategy for teaching and learning. The concept applied Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived usefulness (PU), Teaching Method (TM), task Technology Fit (TTF), Behavioral Attitude (BA) as factors influencing the use of the system (flipped learning). The model made used of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Task-Technology Fit (TTF) to develop some hypotheses and some connected determinants. The result of the survey conducted was tested using SmartPLS software package. The outcome of the investigation indicates that Teaching Method (TM) is the highest determinant factor followed by use intention, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, behavioural attitude and TTF. This confirmed that student’s belief about the manner through which they are been taught (Teaching method) has a great influence on their performance

Ankle fractures: the operative outcome

Ankle fractures are commonly seen in orthopaedic practice. This retrospective study of patients with ankle fractures who underwent surgical treatment in our institution from January 2000 to December 2003 was undertaken to analyze the common causes and patterns of ankle fractures; and the functional outcome of operative treatment for these fractures. Eighty patients were identified and reviewed. There were 65 male (81.3%) and 15 female patients (18.7%) with age ranging from 13 to 71 years old (mean, 32.3y). Common causes of ankle fractures were trauma (especially motor vehicle accidents), sports injuries and the osteoporotic bones in the elderly. Weber C (64.0%) was the most common pattern of fracture at presentation. The most common operative treatment for ankle fractures was open reduction and internal fixation (73 patients, 91.2%). Excellent and good outcomes were achieved in 93.8% of cases when measured using the Olerud and Molander scoring system for foot and ankle. In conclusion, operative treatment for ankle fractures restores sufficient stability and allowed mobility of the ankle joint

Effects of level and physical form of cottonseed hulls on microbial protein synthesis in the rumen of steers fed high concentrate diets

(Kesan tahap dan bentuk fizikal kulit biji kapas terhadap sintesis protein mikrob di dalam rumen lembu yang diberi makanan konsentrat) A. Yusof Hamali*, R. Pucala** and F. N. Owens*** Key words: effective neutral detergent fiber, peptide-N, microbial synthesis, ruminal digestion, protozoa, cottonseed hull Abstrak Enam ekor lembu jantan kembiri yang dipasang kanula pada rumen dan duodenum telah digunakan dalam kajian menggunakan replikat 3 x 3 reka bentuk latin segi empat. Pencernaan di dalam rumen dan kecekapan sintesis protein mikrob telah diukur. Tiga jenis diet berasaskan jagung yang digunakan mengandungi kulit biji kapas (CSH) dan "effective neutral detergent fiber" (eNDF) seperti berikut: a) 18% CSH dan 10.4% eNDF, b) 18% CSH (dikisar) dan 6.1% eNDF dan c) 25% CSH dan 14.1% eNDF. Purata nilai pH rumen meningkat dengan penambahan kandungan eNDF di dalam diet. Kandungan NH 3 -N, peptide-N, dan asid amino-N di dalam rumen adalah sama antara perlakuan, dengan nilai purata 96.4, 1.56 dan 2.56 mg/L. Kecekapan sintesis protein mikrob di dalam rumen tidak dipengaruhi oleh aras eNDF di dalam diet. Purata protein mikrob bagi semua perlakuan adalah sebanyak 13.87 g N mikrob sekilogram bahan organik. Peningkatan eNDF di dalam diet turut meningkatkan kadar percernaan sebenar bahan organik dan kanji di dalam rumen. Pengisaran CSH telah merendahkan kadar pencernaan kanji di dalam rumen. Pengurangan eNDF di dalam diet telah menurunkan pH rumen kurang daripada nilai yang dijangkakan tanpa memberi kesan terhadap kecekapan pertumbuhan mikrob sebagaimana yang disyorkan oleh pihak NRC (1996). Abstract Six steers fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square. Ruminal digestion and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis were measured. Three corn based diets were formulated to contain the following percentages of cottonseed hulls (CSH) and effective neutral detergent fiber (eNDF): a) 18% CSH and 10.4% (eNDF), b) 18% CSH (ground) and 6.1% (eNDF) and c) 25% CSH and 14.1% (eNDF). Mean ruminal pH values increased as eNDF content of the diet was increased. Ruminal NH 3 -N, peptide-N, and amino acid-N were similar among treatments averaging 96.4, 1.56, and 2.56 mg/L. The efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in the rumen was unaffected by the concentration of eNDF, and averaged 13.67 g of microbial N/kg of organic matter (OM) digested for all treatments. Increasing eNDF increased true rumina

Kritik al-Quran oleh Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd melalui terapan hermeneutics humanistic

Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd dikenali sebagai seorang tokoh yang lantang mengkritik al-Quran pada abad ini. Beliau mempunyai metode yang tersendiri ketika mentafsir al-Quran iaitu mengaplikasi hermeneutik dengan menerapkan elemen humanistic. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis elemen humanistic yang dibawa oleh Abu Zayd dalam empat aspek iaitu definisi al-Quran, konsep bahawa wahyu, proses penurunan wahyu dan metode pentafsiran. Empat aspek tersebut dibandingkan secara berterusan dengan al-Quran dan al-Sunnah. Untuk mencapai validity data, artikel yang bersifat kualitatif ini menggunakan metode analisis kandungan yang terdiri daripada karyakarya Abu Zayd sebagai sumber pengumpulan data. Manakala analisis data menggunakan kaedah diskriptif dan perbandingan berterusan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan, elemen humanistic yang telah diterapkan kepada al-Quran telah mencetuskan implikasi terhadap al- Quran, konsep wahyu, tafsiran relatif dan liberalisasi hukum syariah

Draft genome sequence of lignin-degrading agrobacterium sp. Strain s2, isolated from a decaying oil palm empty fruit bunch

We report the draft genome sequence of Agrobacterium sp. strain S2, isolated from a decaying oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, which yields potential genes encoding lignin degradation enzymes. This genome of 9,722,071bp exhibited 58.9% GC content, 10,416 coding genes, and 12 RNAs

Ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of metal ions using dicarboethoxycalixarene-based sensor

In this paper, we have reported an electrochemical detection of metal ions based on Calixarene-based sensor. In the sensing strategy, 3-aminopropylsilane (APTMS) was initially self-assembled on indium tin oxide (ITO) followed by functionalization of dicarboethoxy-calix [4]arene (EtC4). The morphology and properties of electrodes were characterized by contact angle, atomic force microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical response characteristics of the modified electrodes (EtC4/APTMS/ITO) towards analyte ions; Zn(II), Cu(II), and Fe(II) ions were investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) under optimized conditions. It was found that the response of modified electrode towards the analytes was improved significantly as compared to the ITO electrode and resulted in limit of detections (LOD) of 9.88 pg/L, 8.33 μg/L and 1.15 μg/L, respectively. In addition, the detection limit of simultaneous detection quantification of Cu2 +, Zn2 + and Fe2 + ions could be achieved with the concentration 6.19 ng/L, 3.02 mg/L and 2.79 mg/L, respectively. It is worth to show that dicarboethoxy-calix [4]arene modified electrode is a promising candidate as electrochemical sensors for simultaneous and ultrasensitive heavy metal ions determination

Identification of the genomic mutation in Epha4rb-2J/rb-2J mice

The EphA4 receptor tyrosine kinase is involved in numerous cell-signalling activities during embryonic development. EphA4 has the ability to bind to both types of ephrin ligands, the ephrinAs and ephrinBs. The C57BL/6J-Epha4rb-2J/GrsrJ strain, denoted Epha4rb-2J/rb-2J, is a spontaneous mouse mutant that arose at The Jackson Laboratory. These mutants exhibited a synchronous hind limb locomotion defect or “hopping gait” phenotype, which is also characteristic of EphA4 null mice. Genetic complementation experiments suggested that Epha4rb-2J corresponds to an allele of EphA4, but details of the genomic defect in this mouse mutant are currently unavailable. We found a single base-pair deletion in exon 9 resulting in a frame shift mutation that subsequently resulted in a premature stop codon. Analysis of the predicted structure of the truncated protein suggests that both the kinase and sterile α motif (SAM) domains are absent. Definitive determination of genotype is needed for experimental studies of mice carrying the Epha4rb-2J allele, and we have also developed a method to ease detection of the mutation through RFLP. Eph-ephrin family members are reportedly expressed as numerous isoforms. Hence, delineation of the specific mutation in EphA4 in this strain is important for further functional studies, such as protein–protein interactions, immunostaining and gene compensatory studies, investigating the mechanism underlying the effects of altered function of Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases on phenotype